Shloka 41
Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial
(गत्वोत्तरदिशं वीरो विजित्य युधि पार्थिवान् । धनरत्नौघधममितमानयिष्यति पाण्डव: ।।
gatvottaradiśaṃ vīro vijitya yudhi pārthivān | dhana-ratnaugham amitām ānayiṣyati pāṇḍavaḥ || etasya bhuja-vīryeṇa khāṇḍave havyavāhanaḥ | medasā sarva-bhūtānāṃ tṛptiṃ yāsyati vai parām ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ວິລະຊົນປານດະວະນັ້ນ ຈະໄປທາງທິດເໜືອ ແລະພິຊິດກະສັດທັງຫຼາຍໃນສົງຄາມ, ນຳກັບມາເປັນກອງທະນະສົມບັດ ແລະເພັດນິລະມະນີອັນຫາທີ່ສິ້ນສຸດບໍ່ໄດ້. ແລະດ້ວຍພະລັງແຂນຂອງລາວ, ໃນປ່າຄານດະວະ ພຣະອັກນິ (ເທວະໄຟ) ຈະໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມອິ່ມໃຈສູງສຸດ ໂດຍການກິນໄຂມັນຂອງສັດມີຊີວິດທັງປວງ».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how human prowess and royal conquest can become instruments for larger, even unsettling, cosmic purposes: Arjuna’s victories yield wealth, while the same strength enables Agni’s grim ‘satiation’ in Khāṇḍava—inviting reflection on the ethical ambiguity of power and the far-reaching consequences of martial success.
Vaiśampāyana foretells that the Pāṇḍava hero (implicitly Arjuna) will travel north, defeat regional kings, and return with vast riches; additionally, his might will facilitate Agni’s fulfillment in the Khāṇḍava forest, foreshadowing the Khāṇḍava episode where Fire seeks satisfaction through burning and consuming living beings.